The Beginning of the End
by Krys and Mel
Summary: After the war, everything up to and through the epilogues. Insert cheesy quote that relates title to the end of the book series and the beginning of our epic-fic
1. Breakfast

**A/N**

**Welcome to our first dual-written fanfic. This is the epic-fic I hinted about in _You Belong to Me_ ;)**

**~ Krys**

**__We hope you enjoy this. Oh, yeah...and we don't own the Sisters Grimm.**

**~Mel**

~M.K~

"Breakfast!" Granny Relda called through the new house.

Daphne jumped out of the bed she and Red shared and bolted out the door, colliding with Puck, who had just emerged from the room he temporarily shared with Pinocchio.

"Ow!" Daphne grunted, as she lay sprawled in the hallway.

"What the. . .?" Sabrina said, coming out of the bathroom and surveying the scene in front of her. "Puck! You knocked Daphne over again?"

"Hey!" Puck cried indignantly, "Marshmallow ran into me!" He blew Daphne a raspberry. "Race you downstairs, piggies!"

Sabrina reached down and helped her sister up. "I'm going to get Basil," she said, turning down the hall as Daphne ran after Puck.

Sabrina walked softly to the end of the hall and paused to listen at her parents' door. She didn't want to wake them up if they were still sleeping. Someone was moving in the room so Sabrina slowly pushed the door open only to find that it was Red, taking Basil out of his crib.

"Sorry," Red mumbled. "I heard him crying and didn't want him to wake your parents so I came in and got him. Here," she held the little boy out to Sabrina, "you can take him."

"No, it's okay." Sabrina said, shaking her head. "He likes you better anyways." She paused. "I'm going to get my parents up, I'll meet you downstairs."

Red bit her lip and glanced down at the floor. "Sorry," she whispered, before slipping out the door.

~M.K~

Plates of brightly colored and oddly shaped foods flew from hand-to-hand, around the table.

"Here, have some eggs," Daphne shoved the bowl into Sabrina's hands. "They're fantabulous." And she shoveled a spoonful into her mouth just to prove her point.

Sabrina looked at the blue gloop in the large bowl and tried not to gag. "No, thanks."

"More for me, I guess," Puck laughed, snatching the eggs. "Boy, you really miss out, Grimm." He began to dump the contents of the bowl into his mouth.

"Puck," Granny Relda scolded, "don't eat like that."

Puck dropped the bowl unceremoniously on the table and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Sorry Old Lady, but I'm a kind. I can't be bossed around."

"Why do we allow this thing near our daughter?" Henry asked Veronica, glaring at Puck from across the table.

"I think he's getting better," Veronica said absently as she stuck a spoonful of green jelly into Basil's mouth.

"He's still not as brilliant as me," Pinocchio grumbled.

Puck jumped out of his seat and unfurled his wings. "Are you challenging me?" he asked eagerly. "I've been waiting for a chance to beat up someone new. Destroying stinkpot in practice every day gets boring."

" 'Destroy'? 'Every day'? You better watch it, fairy boy!" Sabrina growled. "What happened yesterday then?" She argued.

"I only let you win," Puck sneered.

"Is that what you think happened?" Sabrina jumped up. "I seem to remember you running off crying—"

"That's not true! I never cry!"

"Liar! I'm better than you, admit it!"

"You can't be better than me because I'm a king."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Royalty is always better."

"Ugh, someone back me up here!"

"As much as I don't like him, Sabrina, I'm going to have to side with Puck on this one," Henry said. "I think you still have a lot to learn and Puck does have more experience than you."

"But you have to admit she's gotten a lot stronger," Veronica frowned.

"She has been helping me for some time," Granny added.

"She isn't a trained fighter, Mom," Henry pointed out. "She doesn't know a fraction of what she should in order to properly protect herself."

"I led an army, Dad!" Sabrina protested. "I have experience!"

"I remember," Henry said, stabbing at the jiggling mass on a nearby platter. "All I'm saying is—"

"That I'm at a level you will never reach," Puck interrupted, smirking. "If you get on my good side, I might not pound you so hard next practice."

"I'm not sucking up to you," Sabrina snorted.

Puck narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm really trying to be nice, Grimm."

"I'm not scared of you," she scoffed.

"Well, you should be."

"Are you threatening my daughter?"

"Let her defend herself, Henry," Veronica said.

"Yeah," Daphne piped up, "she's not a baby."

"Don't speak to me that way, young lady," Henry warned.

"Give them a chance," Mr. Canis said.

Henry turned to the old man. "I'm just being a parent."

"You could give the girls some space," Granny said, setting another bowl of eggs on the table.

"I'll do what I want to."

"Now you sound like Puck," Sabrina grumbled.

"No!" Puck and Henry cried out together.

"Don't compare me to him!" Henry said furiously.

"We're nothing alike!" Puck huffed.

"Did I mention Puck and I are leaving in the morning?" Uncle Jake asked from the end of the table.

The entire room fell silent. And then the noise erupted.

"Tomorrow?" Daphne choked.

"You just won a war!" Sabrina cried. "Don't you want to take some time off?"

"Yes, you should spend some time with the family," Veronica said.

"Tomorrow?" Daphne exclaimed.

"I thought you were coming to the city with me to help me get our things in order?" Henry protested.

"But I have a great lead on a rare magical item! It's a compass that points to the user's deepest desire."

"Tomorrow?" Daphne screeched.

Red patted Daphne's shoulder to calm her down.

"Don't worry, Marshmallow, I'll be back soon," Puck said.

"Quiet, everyone!" Granny Relda interrupted, "we'll get this sorted out. Jacob, I thought you were staying to help rebuild the town?"

"I don't want to miss this opportunity, Mom," he replied. "Besides, you guys seem to have it under control with all the people volunteering."

"And you weren't really expecting Puck to help us rebuild, were you?" Sabrina asked.

Puck stuck his tongue out at her in response.

"I suppose, if you must," Granny Relda said reluctantly. "You boys had better start packing, then."

~M.K~

**A/N**

**Please review! It's super late and Melanie's practically falling asleep on my laptop so I'm sure there are plenty of typos. Thanks! :D**


	2. Separate Ways, part 1

**A/N**

**Sorry this is late, I wanted this posted on Friday but, alas, it's Sunday. I do have a few excuses if you want to stick around and read them. If not, feel free to skip to the story.  
****First, Mel went back to Alabama ): We're cousins. I live in NC. Anyways, I realized it's terribly difficult to write without her despite our phone calls and FB messages. And now, she's leaving for a mission-type trip in Kentucky for the week, which means I won't be able to call her at all for a whole 7 days! Which also means we're going to take a little longer updating. Even this chapter is a lot shorter than I wanted it to be, because I ended up halfway through the goodbyes and didn't know how far to take it and couldn't talk to Mel so I decided to wait and post goodbyes next week.  
Second, yesterday was Saturday, also known as Legend-of-Korra-day. And, yesterday in particular, Legend-of-Korra-season-finale-day. My friend decided it was a good idea to have me get a tumblr, but it pretty much ate me a few days ago and I've been living in it's belly, surviving off of General Iroh II, Zutara, and other A:TLA blogs until last night when my books came.  
Third, my books came. By books, I mean my A:TLA comics, including The Promise part 1 and 2. After reading it, I...just...my mind exploded.**

**~M.K~**

"Swim suits. . .check. . .scarves. . .check. . .rubber boots. . .check. . .ties. . .check. . ." Daphne went through her uncle's suitcase.

"Daphne, I'm a grown man, I think I can pack for myself," Jake told the little girl. "Plus, do you really think I need all this stuff?"

The mound of clothing had spilled out of his suitcase and covered most of the bed. Random accessories, shoes, a few t-shirts, were strewn across his room—a mix of items Daphne had rejected from Jake's first packing attempt.

"We need to leave soon," Jake urged.

"Alright, alright, hold your rabbaroos. There, you're done. Now we just have to close this." She looked at the suitcase warily, only just realizing how much she had piled onto it. "You got any magic for this?" She asked her uncle.

"I thought you were supposed to be the witch," Jake teased. "Try some stretching powder. There's some in the Hall of Wonders. "

Daphne walked over to the guardian-less mirror, which hung on the wall next to her uncle's bed and stepped through it. As the most familiar, and most comfortable with magic, Jake got to keep the mirror in his room. Once the bag was sufficiently stretched so that it could zip, Jake carried it downstairs and Daphne went to investigate Puck's packing. She walked down the hall to Pinocchio's room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a muffled voice came through the door.

"Daphne."

The door creaked open an inch, and Pinocchio peered out. "Just Daphne?"

"Yeah, just Daphne," Daphne replied with a frown. "Why?"

Pinocchio opened his door even more before beckoning the little girl inside. "I've been working on a surprise for Jacob and Puck. Come see it."

Daphne followed Pinocchio into his room eagerly, shutting the door behind her. No one had been into his room since the house had been rebuilt, and now she could see why. Tables and shelves covered with various books and papers lined the walls. Half a dozen marionettes were bustling about the bedroom, sorting and arranging the piles of papers into neat folders, which were then placed into three large filing cabinets in the left corner. Pinocchio's twin bed had been pushed against the far wall to make room for the massive, dark wood table that stood in the center of the room.

"Wow," Daphne gasped, "what happened?"

"I've been exploring the Hall of Wonders even further and documenting my findings. You Grimms may be a little smart, but you are the most unorganized people I've ever met," Pinocchio huffed.

Daphne watched one marionette—a miniature girl wearing a frilly, pink dress and combat boots—run past carrying an armful of loose papers. The marionette nearly collided with a second—an incredibly thin man in a business suit—and nearly dropped her pile of pages.

"This is organized?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm getting there," Pinocchio snapped, walking forward to the table. "Do you want to see my surprise or not?"

Daphne nodded, following him while dodging scampering marionettes.

"Doesn't it get crowded in here with all of these puppets?"

"They're marionettes," Pinocchio corrected in annoyance, pausing before the table and waiting for Daphne.

The little girl stepped up beside him and starred at the tabletop. There was nothing there.

"Hey, what gives?"

Pinocchio rolled his eyes. "Impatient. Just watch."

She obeyed, staring curiously as Pinocchio reached forward and tapped on the table three times. _Tap, tap, tap_. Instantly, the air above the table shimmered like a heat wave over a scalding road and a sphere came into shape.

"Wow," Daphne whispered as the object completely materialized. Resting on the table before them sat a polished golden ball. "What is it?" Her eyes widened in wonder as she gazed at her warped reflection in the smooth surface.

"It's the ball from 'The Princess and the Frog'," Pinocchio said with proud satisfaction. "I found it shoved behind some painting of an ugly queen in the Hall of Wonders and thought we could put it to use."

"What does it do?" Daphne could feel the magic radiating off it.

"It took some test runs and researching, but I finally figured it out. By dropping the ball into a still body of water—like a pond—and saying 'I wish upon water to see X' the ball projects what the user wishes to see on the surface of the water," Pinocchio explained.

"Sort of like the mirror, only portable and with less rhyming," Daphne smiled.

Pinocchio shrugged. "I suppose. Anyways, this will help Jake and Puck find their magical objects. The downsides are that the image will only last as long as the water ripples. Once the water stills, the ball will return to the surface. And, the ball will only allow them to see everything in a six foot radius of the item, so they'll have to do some guessing."

"This is great, Pinocchio," Daphne grinned. "Uncle Jake will be happy for the help."

Pinocchio brightened at the praise. "Thanks, I just—"

Suddenly, the closet door flung open, and Puck stepped out, dragging a stuffed duffle behind him. "What's up, piggies? Playing with your puppets again?"

"They're marionettes," Pinocchio growled, clenching his fists.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Puck said. "They're creepy, and they're making a mess."

"They're organizing," Pinocchio corrected furiously. "It just takes a while to sort everything. It's not nearly as bad as when your filthy primates escaped your room and came rampaging through mine."

"Hey! My chimps were just—"

"Boys!" Daphne shouted, causing both Pinocchio and Puck to stop arguing and look at her in surprise. "Yeah, I'm still here. And we have more important things to do than argue." She turned to Puck, "why do you have a duffel bag?"

"I'm packing. This is all the important stuff I need for my trip—some glue, a whoopee cushion, a few glop grenades, rubber snakes, a bucket of paint. . ."

"Why don't you just leave all that stuff in your room, though? Your room is portable, remember?"

Puck's jaw dropped. "You mean, I just spent the past hour pointlessly working when I could have been setting up some last pranks for Sabrina?"

"Do I really have to explain your room to you again?" Daphne rolled her eyes, something she had started to do more often lately. "When we opened your room during the battle, the coven made you a key so that you would be able to open it anywhere. That's how you're using Pinocchio's closet as your bedroom. You—well, I did, because you lost the first key—just stuck the key in his closet door, knocked on it three times, and your room appeared. Knocking three times accesses things that are magically hidden. It's sort of like magical storage. That's how Granny has the front door lock, and how Pinocchio stores this," she held up the golden ball. "So you don't have to pack. All you have to do it take your key. Got it?"

"I stick the key in the lock, tap three times, and _bam!_ my room," Puck repeated. "I'm not stupid," he stuck his tongue out at Daphne.

"_Au contraire_—" Pinocchio began.

"Just don't lose the key, okay?" Daphne cut Pinocchio off.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm a king, I never lost things."

"I'm going to give Jake one, too, just in case," Daphne grumbled.

"So what's with the golden ball?" Puck asked, after putting his duffel back into his room, closing the room, and putting the key in his pocket.

"This," Pinocchio picked up the ball, "is a highly fascinating piece of magical equipment that can allow one to access images through a reflection in a still body of water."

"Uh…in English?"

"If you drop it in water, it will show you what you ask for," Pinocchio explained impatiently. "It's for you and Jacob to take on your trip."

"C'mon guys, let's go! Uncle Jake's waiting for you, Puck. And you still haven't said goodbye to Sabrina," Daphne said from the doorway, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Puck froze, looking horrorstruck. "Why do I need to say goodbye? I'll be back. . ."

"No, you're still king of Faerie. And now that the barrier's gone, you can go to the city once you're done looking for magical objects with Uncle Jake. Now go say goodbye to her," she shoved Puck toward the room next to Pinocchio's. "Me and Pinocchio will be downstairs."

"'Pinocchio and I'," Pinocchio corrected, pulling his bedroom door shut and following Daphne.

Puck spluttered, then shrugged and turned toward Granny Relda's bedroom door. Sabrina had been staying in Granny Relda's room, since she would be moving back to New York City with Henry and Veronica and it would be pointless for her to have her own room. He opened the door, realizing too late that he should have knocked first.

**~M.K~**

**BAHAH I'm so evil ^^ I have more written but, like I said, I don't know how far to take it. And yes, I am purposly trying to make this sound as dirty as possible XD YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH IT! Gah...I need to get off the computer .  
Krys  
P.S. Melanie asks that you all please, please, please review with a General Iroh II on top! I have no shame XP But seriously, reviews make us feel loved and then we get all hyped up to write and then we try to update faster to return the love!**


	3. Separate Ways, part 2

**A/N**

**...I could rattle off a bunch of excuses as to why this is two weeks late, or I could do the mature thing-IT WAS ALL MELANIE'S FAULT DX**

**As suggested by Longlivethecookiemonster, here's a recap of our previous two chapters.  
****Chapter 1- Crazy breakfast and Jake decides to leave tomorrow.  
****Chapter 2- Daphne helps Jake pack, Pinocchio fixes the golden sphere from "The Princess and the Frog" (it kind of works like scrying/iris messaging/the mirror), Daphne teases Puck, Puck and Pinocchio bicker, Puck goes to say goodbye to Sabrina.**

**I also wanted to say a special thank you to every single one of our reviewers! I've spent a lot of time in the Avatar: The Last Airbender section of FanFiction and hardly anyone there responds to the reviews I give :P It's ridiculous and I just want all of y'all to know how much you mean to us!**

**iizninja  
****Noodles21  
****awesomeness23  
****Sea-of-Serendipity  
****Sistersgrimmlover12  
****Longlivethecookiemonster  
****TheAfterShock**

**~Krystynn**

**I'm sorry, my phone has been off, which has been irritating Krys a bunches. I was also away for a while on a camping trip and wasn't able to contact civilization because I had no service. Anyhow, we finally got this thing up, so please enjoy!  
****~Melanie**

**~M.K~**

Sabrina was laying on the bed, still in her pajamas, writing in her journal. Relda stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her blue hat so that the daisy appliqué was in the center.

"Why good morning, Puck," Granny Relda said, turning from the mirror. "What brings you here?"

"Puck?" Sabrina looked up from her journal.

"I—uh, Jake and I were leaving so, um. . .just thought I'd say 'bye," Puck said.

"Oh, well that's sweet. Yes, I was just about to go find Jacob," Granny Relda walked toward the door. "Sabrina, why don't you get changed and come downstairs when you're ready?" She winked at her granddaughter, patted Puck on the cheek, and left.

Puck grimaced. This was exactly why he should have knocked—he didn't want anyone to know he had come to talk to Sabrina privately.

Sabrina sat up on the bed, ran her fingers through her mussed up hair, and looked at Puck who was still standing by the door. "Well?"

"Well, I'm leaving."

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes and got off the bed, standing in front of Puck. "Just don't forget about me."

He had grown a lot recently, and was now taller than her by several inches, allowing him to look over her instead of at her. "How could I ever forget your gruesome face?" She glared at him. "And I'll let you know if I find a cure for your stench," he continued, still avoiding her gaze.

She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "Are you asking to be punched?" She let him go, but kept her eyes locked on his.

"I need to get changed," she said, turning back to the bed. "Uh, leave?" She nudged, when he didn't move.

"Oh, um, yeah," he shook his head and walked to the door. "I'll meet you downstairs, I guess."

Sabrina shut the door behind him and locked it. She prided herself on being tough but, as an almost-thirteen-year-old girl, she figured she was entitled to a little angst and depression. What was she expecting, though? That he would sweep her off her feet? Confess his love and beg her to come with him? This was Puck after all. She sighed. School in New York City would seem dull after this. Not that she would ever admit it, but she would miss Ferryport Landing and all the Everafters. _Life is going to be boring—B-O-R-N-G_, she thought, chuckling to herself. Memories of the fairy flooded her mind. _But most of all_, she thought bitterly, _I'm going to miss Puck_.

~M.K~

Sabrina finished dressing, pulling on jeans and a purple shirt, and made her way downstairs. Not finding anyone, she walked out the front door to find her family waiting in the front yard. When she emerged from the house, Jake smiled at her, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you, 'Brina," Uncle Jake said into her hair, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Jake was wearing his favorite coat, covered with pockets and pockets filled with rings, medallions, and other odd magical weapons. Sabrina could feel the magic radiating from him and the backpack that was slung over his shoulder. She ignored the tingling sensation that prickled her skin and buried her face in her uncle's chest.

"Promise you'll be careful and visit as soon as possible," she whispered. "Don't get too caught up by your adventures and forget about us."

Jake chuckled. "How could I forget you? And I want you to be careful, too. There are plenty of adventures waiting in New York, you know. Keep that Grimm whit about you, and you'll be just fine."

Sabrina grinned up at Jake before releasing him. As soon as she stepped back, Daphne hurried to take her place and wrapped her little arms around Jake's stomach.

The smile fading from her face, Sabrina turned away and nearly ran straight into Henry.

"Alright," her father said, "Mr. Canis and I are going to drop Jake and Puck off at the airport, and then we're going to the city to look at apartments and get our finances in order. Guys, are you ready to go?"

"Yep! C'mon Puck, let's get this show on the road," Jake said, getting in the back of the car.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Puck huffed and got in next to Jake, shutting the door behind him.

Mr. Canis climbed into the passenger's seat and Henry drove the loud, old jalopy away.

"Well," Veronica grinned mischievously, "it looks like it's just us for today. How about we take a break from rebuilding and have a 'Girls Day Out'?"

"Ooh, yes!" Daphne cheered.

"Um, excuse me. I'm still present," Pinocchio objected.

"Well this is awkward. . ." Sabrina mumbled.

"You don't want to stay here and watch Basil and Elvis?" Veronica joked. "No, it will just be a 'Girls, Pinocchio, and Basil Day Out'," Veronica said. "Even you need some more clothes, Pinocchio, so a day shopping shouldn't be too much of a bother. And maybe we can stop at the **Blue Diner** for some lunch."

"Oh, I had a new recipe I wanted to try out," Granny said.

"But Granny, you deserve a break from cooking," Sabrina said innocently.

Granny Relda chuckled. "Yes, _liebling_, and I suppose you deserve a break from my food. Alright, is everyone ready to leave?"

"Uhh. . .Red and I should probably shower and change," Daphne said, looking down at her green, pink, and yellow striped PJs and ducky slippers, and then over to Red's white PJs with red and blue polka-dots and disheveled auburn hair.

"Okay. Let's try to leave in an hour," Veronica told the little girls. "Granny and I will clean up the kitchen. Sabrina and Pinocchio, would you mind giving us a hand?"

~M.K~

"We're ready!" Daphne bellowed, an hour and a half later, as she and Red entered the kitchen. "Hey, what's all the chit-chat about? I thought we were leaving."

Veronica stopped her conversation with Relda and looked at her daughter. "Your father just called. He found an apartment—our old apartment, actually. Apparently the previous owners decided to move from the city when their son started college. He wanted to get it before anyone else so he went ahead and made an offer. The owners accepted immediately and we're moving in next week."

Daphne's jaw dropped. Even the normally-reserved-Red looked shocked. "M—moving?" Daphne stuttered. "Next week?"

Sabrina skidded in from the living room, where she had been showing Pinocchio how to work the television. "We're moving?"

"Is that an upset tone I hear?" Veronica teased, trying to lighten the mood. "But yes, we're moving—by happy coincidence—back into our old apartment."

"Pfft. . .upset? As if. . ." Sabrina stuck her tongue out at her mother. "I just thought we'd move. . .into a bigger apartment. You know, because of Basil?"

Daphne patted her older sister's arm. "You need to work on your sound chakra."

"Anyways girls, it looks like we're going to be shopping for more than clothes today."

**~M.K~**

**A/N**

**Sooooo...whadyathink? Worth it? Ehh? Please, please, _please_ let us know in a review! Also, whoever finds the A:TLA reference in this chapter first gets a spoiler/sneak peek/dedication/whateveryoufreakingwant XD**

**~ Krystynn**

**P.S. ZUTARA WEEK STARTS IN ONE DAY, ONE HOUR, AND A FEW MINUTES! GAH, I CAN'T WAIT! If you want to see our work for the week, check out our DeviantArt page (link is on our profile) and look out for a fanfic for "Heartstrings" on July 19th.**


	4. Moving

**WE'RE BACK! Would y'all believe me if I told you that, when I said we wouldn't be updating as frequently, I TOTALLY DID NOT mean 2 months DX I'm so, so, so, so sorry! Things just got really out of hand. First Melanie was gone, then I went to Europe for a month, then school started and Melanie went MIA, then my classes started. . .But I finally talked to Melanie last night, and we have big, big ideas for this story. Just wait. And I planned out a ton of chapters so we should be writing this for almost two years (according to the current rate, which we're hoping to fix). And if you just skipped this and started reading the story that we've deprived you from for so long, well, I understand.**

**Krystynn**

**~M.K~**

"Ugh, this is so heavy! Pinocchio, are you sure you're holding your end?" Daphne complained from behind a rather large and heavy box, as she trudged up the steps to the apartment.

"Yes, I'm holding my end," Pinocchio replied indignantly. "Why you need all this junk, though, still baffles me."

"Junk?! This box is filled with all my souvenirs. A beanstalk leaf, a few mouse traps, a shovel, "Charming for Mayor" buttons, a cook book for underwater foods, a few take-out menus for the Blue Plate Diner, a piece of the Vorpal Blade, some of Twilarose's dress samples, toothbrushes, a plastic hatchet, a recording device, a rose, pieces of marble from the Hall of Wonders, a key ring for Granny's old house, my journal—"

"Okay, we get it, there's a lot of stuff. At least now you have your own room to put it in," Sabrina interrupted as she passed them on the stairs.

"You need to be careful of the neighbors. We don't need them to ask any more questions," Henry said, as he followed Sabrina down the stairs to get more boxes.

"Wow, Daphne, that sounds heavy," Daphne mimicked her sister. "Yes, would you like some help?" she deepened her voice to mimic her father. Pinocchio snickered.

"It's weird being back here," Daphne said as they entered the apartment and Daphne led them towards her room. "Hey! The pink's gone!" She said, dropping her end of the box to place her hands on her hips.

Now unbalanced, the box slipped from Pinocchio's fingers and landed on his feet causing him to jump and upturn the box, dumping its contents on the floor with a thud and several clanks and crashes.

"Daphne! We've been here for ten minutes and you've already broken something," Henry's exasperated voice came from behind a several boxes labeled "Daph's clothes and other stuff". Henry waddled into the room, straining to keep the boxes balanced as he carried them. Unfortunately, he couldn't see the miscellaneous objects that littered the floor.

"Watch out!" Daphne yelled, just as Henry's foot caught on the strap of a pair of infrared goggles, causing him to trip and fall. The boxes tumbled to the ground as he read out to catch himself. Henry cried out as his hand hit the floor, supporting him for a second before crumpling beneath him.

"Dad!" Daphne rushed over to her father.

"Ah, I think I sprained my wrist," Henry said, sitting up and cradling the said body part. He tried flexing his fingers.

"Wait! Don't move it," Pinocchio said, looking over Daphne's shoulder. "It could be broked and trying to move it will only make it worse. Here, it should be supported until you get it checked."

"Um, but we don't have splint or anything," Daphne said, but Pinocchio wasn't listening. He was walking around the room, picking up objects and then dropping them back to the ground. Suddenly, he spotted the goggles, which were still caught on Henry's foot.

"Perfect," he said, picking them up and undoing the strap. He picked up two mouse traps, too, as he walked around to sit by Daphne. "This should do it. Daphne, can you hold his wrist steady?" Pinocchio asked as Henry extended his injured wrist. Daphne nodded in response and gently steadied her father's arm. Pinocchio placed the traps on the top and bottom of Henry's wrist, and then tied them in place with the goggle strap.

"Wow, where did you learn that?" Daphne asked, her eyes wide.

"Oh, I've read a few medical books," Pinocchio answered.

"A few? You're like a concierge doctor," Henry said, impressed.

"Yeah," Daphne joked. "We could start a business and name it HankMed after Dad."

"What's going on in here? Did I hear someone get hurt?" Veronica asked.

"Dad tripped and may or may not have broken his wrist, but Pinocchio made a splint so he should be fine for now."

"He should still see a doctor, though," Pinocchio interjected.

"Alright then, "Veronica reached out to help her husband up.

"Sorry I won't be able to help with any more unloading," Henry grinned sheepishly at his wife.

"Oh, you still get to help. You get to take care of Basil. He needs to be fed and them you can work on that potty-training."

Henry grimaced.

"Daphne, Pinocchio, why don't you two find Red and then the three of you can put this room in order before someone else breaks something. I'm going to see how Sabrina's room is coming."

~M.K~

"Hmm…what about putting the bed by the windows, the dresser by the door, and the chair in that corner?" Granny Relda said, pointing to a spot to the right of her granddaughter.

"But what about the bookshelf?" Sabrina replied, crossing her arms.

"Just put it next to the bed. There's room, isn't there?"

"I guess so. This dresser is bigger than the one I had before and I never had a bookshelf."

Mr. Canis grunted as he got up from the grey, suede armchair that sat outside Sabrina's bedroom door. "Are you sure this time? I don't want to move this furniture again." He gestured to the black bookshelf, the white dresser, and grey chair that Sabrina had finally just shoved out of the room after rearranging it three times.

Sabrina bit her lip, turning around the room before her eyes landed on her grandmother. Granny Relda smiled at her and she nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Hey, how's it going in here?" Veronica asked, as she walked into the room.

"Well I finally decided where I want everything," Sabrina told her mother. "Where's Dad? I thought he was going to help us bring the bed and mattress up?

"Oh. He may or may not have broken his wrist so he's going to take care of Basil for a bit. It looks like it's up to us to get that thing up here," Veronica said cheerfully.

Sabrina looked at her mother, then shrugged. "Okay."

~ M.K~

The Grimm family—save Henry and Veronica who had gone to the doctor—sat around the living room, exhausted.

Sabrina lay spread-eagle on the floor next to a sleeping toddler. Granny Relda sat at one end of the new, brown-leather couch, and Mr. Canis sat at the other end. Daphne was next to Relda; however, she sat upside down, her feet resting on the back of the couch and her pigtails grazing the carpet. Red was curled up next to Daphne, her head resting on Canis' shoulder. Pinocchio was in the *lazy-boy* chair reading the copy of Frankenstein Sabrina had gotten for school.

The group barely looked over when they heard the door unlock.

"Who wants pizza?" Henry called, pushing the door open with the many boxes of pizza he was carrying.

Everyone turned their heads as the warm smell of cheese, tomatoes, and garlic filled the air.

"Well that got your attention," Veronica said, coming in behind her husband and carrying several bottles of soda.

"It is 9 o'clock and we haven't eaten since we were at Granny's," Sabrina grumbled from the floor.

"How's your wrist, Henry?" Granny Relda asked, getting up to help with the food.

"Just a hairline fracture. I have a cast that I have to wear for a couple weeks and then it should be fine." Henry shifted the pizza boxes to show the yellow cast on his left wrist.

"Can I sign it?" Daphne flipped her feet over and falling to the floor, almost hitting Sabrina.

"I have a Sharpie in here," Veronica called from the kitchen, where she was getting plates, cups, and napkins. "Come get it and help me carry some of this stuff into the dining room. The kitchen isn't big enough for everyone to eat in here."

Daphne jumped up and ran to help her mother. She came back with a tray laden with cups of soda and a black marker clenched in her teeth.

"Whurshudashynit?" She garbled around the marker as she set the tray down on the coffee table.

"That was most definitely not a language recognized by any human on Earth," Pinocchio said from behind his book.

The little girl pulled the Sharpie out of her mouth and stuck her tongue out at the boy before turning to her father. "Where should I sign it?"

"Oh. Anywhere, I guess," Henry blinked and held out his arm.

"Hey, I want to sign, too," Sabrina said, finally getting up.

"Duh, everyone is going to sign it. Even Basil," Daphne said looking down at her little brother who was beginning to wake up in all the commotion. "I'll write Puck, Uncle Jake, and Elvis in, too, since they're not here."

"Elvis?" Sabrina raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, my poor baby had to stay at Granny's because dogs aren't allowed in the apartment," Daphne pouted.

Red patted her on the shoulder. "Elvis is a big dog, he can take care of himself," she said with a small smirk.

Sabrina laughed as Daphne glared.

"And they're missing the first meal in our kind of new house," Sabrina pointed out.

"You're right! It is our first meal," Veronica gasped.

"I think this deserves a toast." Granny Relda raised her glass, "to the new house."

Glasses clinked and it was silent as everyone drank.

"BUUURRPPP!"

Everyone turned to stare at Sabrina.

"Well someone had to," she said.

**~M.K~**

**So who misses Puck? Review if you do! **

**Oh, and review if you found the reference. I still haven't heard from the people who got the last reference. Here's how it goes: the first person who reviews with the reference gets either a spoiler or a sneak-peek of the next chapter. So if I messaged you last time saying you got it, pick one and message me. If you think you found the reference, review and I'll message you to let you know!**

**Hope it was worth the wait XP**


	5. The Compass

**KRYSTYNN HERE! Melanie's still MIA. Someone send out a missing person report for her...like, I don't even know. I talked to her mom (my aunt) a few times, but can never seem to get Mel on the phone.**

**So for once I'm sticking to schedule! Or the schedule I told someone in a review...I can't remember. But it's been about a week and here's the big long chapter (well over 6,000 words XP ) that I promised. THIS IS THE CHAPTER YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR. I was late to my Japanese mythology class just so I could finish it and get up today.**

**I realized I write these big long Author's Notes, but then I just delete them because I think no one really cares or reads them. This time, I decided I'm going to write one anyways, because I keep forgetting to respond to anonymous reviews and post announcements, etc. BUT I will save all of it for after so we can get to the chapter sooner.**

**A few warnings about this chapter. It has not been read or edited by Melanie AT ALL. I'm the only person that has ever read this so it's probably full of stupid errors and random stuff. Heck, you might even find a note in there with astericks or parenthesis that was meant for Melanie DX I figured you guys would appreciate any update, though. And, review with the mistakes and I'll just go back and edit later.**

**Seriously, though, read the bottom A/N, too. Please? :D**

**Oh, and we own neither _The Sisters Grimm _nor any of the materials we reference.**

**~M.K~**

"That was the longest, most boring, cramped, uncomfortable, exhilarating, terrifyingly awesome, time ever!" Puck said, as he walked along the ramp from the plane to the gate.

"You sound conflicted," Jake said, distracted by the numerous brochures and maps he was flipping through.

"What do you expect? I've never been shoved inside a giant, metal bird before!"

Jake led the way through the terminal and out of the building. Thanks to Puck's magic room, they didn't have to get any checked luggage and, thus, didn't need to spend any more time in the airport.

~M.K~

"So, what are we looking for again?" Puck asked once they were in the parking lot.

"Well, at the moment, we're looking for a taxi. After that, our hotel, and then some place to eat. Tomorrow, we'll start looking for the compass. I have a few leads and, if tonight's plan works, we shouldn't have too much trouble." Jake folded up the maps and brochures, sticking them in various pockets in his coat.

"What's the big plan for tonight?"

"I'll tell you once we get to the hotel. Ah, here we go," Jake answered as a taxi pulled over in front of them.

They climbed in the car; Jake in the "shotgun" and Puck in the back.

"Y'all must be from up north with coats like that," the driver noted. "No bags?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"We packed light. What do you think all these pockets are for?" Jake replied smoothly.

Their driver shrugged. "Still don't see how you haven't taken the coat off yet. This Florida heat is bad enough in just a t-shirt," he mumbled before asking, "alright, where to?"

"What's the closest hotel to the marina?"

"Oh, so y'all are boatmen."

"Yeah, we're heading off to the Keys tomorrow!" Jake tried to sound like an overenthusiastic tourist. He turned to nudge Puck, but the boy had been picking his nose in the backseat and wasn't paying attention.

"Alright, here's a Hilton. The marina's just about a minute's walk that way." The driver pulled under the hotel portico. "Enjoy the Keys!"

"Thank you," Jake said as he paid the man.

"Okay, now can I hear this big plan of yours?" Puck asked as soon as they were out of the cab.

"First, we need to check in, and then take showers."

"Showers?! Why?" Puck's face looked panicked.

"Because we've just been sitting in a plane for over seven hours and we probably won't get another chance to shower for a very long time.

Puck was baffled. "And that's a problem because . . .?"

"Plus, we're going to a nice restaurant for dinner tonight," Jake continued.

"Aw, don't tell me I have to dress up, too," the fairy groaned.

~M.K~

Once they got to their room, Jake had Puck open his magic door so they could get their clothes.

"You go ahead and start taking a shower. Actually," Jake surveyed Puck, "you might want to take two. I need to check something."

Puck glared at Jake, but headed into the bathroom anyways. He emerged nearly an hour later, a towel wrapped around his waist, and shaking out his clean, but still wet hair.

"What on earth are you doing?" he asked Jake, who was leaning over the sink in the kitchenette part of their room.

"I'm trying to check to see where the Andersen Triplets are, but this darn ball only shows the image as long as the water ripples. They're supposed to be docking at this marina and going to dinner somewhere nearby, but I don't know when . . .Hey! There's a restaurant sign. They must be getting there now. Darn! It's gone. Oh well, I need to go shower," Jake turned, the front of his shirt was sopping wet and he held a dripping golden ball.

"So when can I hear this big plan of yours?" Puck reminded Jake.

"Well, I haven't gotten all the details worked out yet."

"You don't have a plan yet," Puck smirked.

"I'm just waiting for a few more things to fall into place. Pretty much, we're meeting the Andersen Triplets at dinner and from there we get a boat to take around the Caribbean, which is the last place the compass was seen. Oh, and you still need to wear something nice for dinner."

"How do you define nice?" Puck asked, following Jake as he headed to the bathroom. "Because I think a mud-stained shirt is very appealing and ripped—"

Jake slammed the bathroom door on Puck's rambling and turned on the shower.

"This collar is tight," Puck tugged at his white polo. He looked like a typical beach tourist with his white collared shirt, khakis, dark brown loafers, and mop of blonde curls.

"Deal with it," Jake grumbled from the bathroom. He was having trouble with his tie. "Oh forget it! Do you think I need a tie?" he stepped out of the bathroom.

"I still don't see why you would want a tie," Puck responded. "It's like a leash girls use to control you."

"I'm sure Sabrina will appreciate that," Jake smirked. The smirk turned into a full-on grin as Puck glared. "Come on, let's get this room locked back up," he said to the fairy as he put his tie back in his bag and then tossed his bag onto the grass in the room.

"Don't leave anything here," Jake warned Puck. "If we're lucky, we won't be coming back."

"How is that lucky?" Puck asked.

"Because we'll be on a boat instead and everything will be going according to plan."

"The plan you haven't even come up with yet."

"I have the gist of it!"

~M.K~

"How many?" the hostess asked.

They had arrived at the restaurant to find it packed.

"We're, uh, just meeting friends here," Jake said.

"Oh, okay. Go on in, then."

"Look, there they are," Jake elbowed Puck and pointed.

"So now what?"

"I need you to make a distraction. Something magical so it will get their attention. Then, I'm going to get the keys to my boat while they're not looking.

"Any distraction?" Puck cocked an eyebrow.

"As long as it's magical. I'll wait for you by the door."

Puck chuckled mischievously and headed off towards the kitchens. It wasn't long before Jake heard a scream followed by maniacal laughter. He hid behind a booth as the triplets looked towards the noise.

"What was that?" Hannah Andersen asked her brothers, who shrugged in response.

"Ahh! It has wings!" A waiter screamed, running out of the kitchen.

"Mommy, it's a fairy!" the kid in the next booth was pointing.

"Maybe we should take a trip to the kitchen?" Chris Andersen suggested.

"Yeah, let's go check that out," Andy Andersen agreed. "Come on, Han."

They walked with forced calm, right by Jake's hiding spot. As they passed him, Jake swiftly grabbed the keychain sticking out of Chris's pocket. Feeling a tug, Chris turned, but Jake was saved from discovery when—

"It's a walrus—no, a tiger—a unicorn?"

And then the triplets took off running.

A few minutes later, a mouse came up to Jake and squeaked.

"Puck?" Jake whispered. The mouse squeaked again. He grinned at the fairy-boy-turned-rodent and scooped him up. As soon as they were outside, Jake put Puck on the ground and he quickly morphed back into a boy.

"Did you get the keys?" Puck questioned, trying to orient himself after being so much smaller.

"Yep," Jake jangled the keys. "A unicorn, really?" he teased.

"I was under a lot of pressure!" Puck crossed his arms. "Now where is this stupid boat of yours?"

"Around back, in the marina," Jake led them behind the restaurant to the docks.

~M.K~

"So we're stealing this boat? I'm impressed," Puck said, standing in front of a small white boat labeled, _S.S. Minnow_.

"We're not stealing it exactly. It was mine. Then the Andersen triplets took it. Now I'm just taking it back," Jake explained. "But let's hurry and get this thing out to sea before they get back from dinner."

~M.K~

"This is so boring!" Puck exclaimed, leaning against the boat railing and staring out across the ocean.

They had been at sea for only a few days, but it was starting to show. Puck, usually so loud and wild, now had nowhere to expend his energy. And Jake, even though he had accepted Briar's death, he did not enjoy the endless time their journey provided to just sit and think about his fiancée. Both boys were suffering severe cabin fever and were, thus, irritable and melancholy.

"That's all you've said for the past hour," Jake grumbled from behind the steering wheel. "Why don't you stop moping and do something about it?"  
"That's the problem! There's nothing _to do_!"

"When was the last time we checked the ball?"

"Like, two seconds ago," Puck glanced down at the ball that still sat in a net on the floor of the boat. Every few hours they would stop the boat and drop the ball into the water, asking to see the location of the compass.

"It was not two seconds ago," Jake snapped.

"Whatever. It still shows the same thing; just a waterfall surrounded by a ton of jungle. And we can't even figure out where the heck that is!" Puck snapped back.

"I'm still working on it."

They both huffed. A few minutes later—

"Why don't you drop the ball in and find us a port?" Jake said, taking a deep breath and turning the boat's engine off. "We'll ask some locals to see if they know of a waterfall," he explained as they waited for the water to calm down a bit.

Puck picked up the golden call and dropped it into the glass-like surface of the Caribbean sea. "I wish upon water to see an island with a port we can dock at."

"That's nearby," Jake added.

With a _thunk_, the ball fell into the water and the image of a large, green island rippled across the cool blue ocean.

"Alright, I guess we keep going until we get to it?" Jake suggested as Puck fished out the golden ball.

~ M.K~

"Hey! There's something! Maybe it's our island," Puck said nearly an hour later, pointing to a speck of dark green several miles off.

"Well, let's check it out," Jake turned to boat toward where Puck was pointing.

~M.K~

"Land!" Puck cried, practically falling out of the boat in his haste to get on the dock.

"Don't kiss the ground yet, I need your help tying up the boat." Jake tossed Puck the rope to tie to the post and dropped a small anchor off the back of the boat. Then they made their way to the tavern at the end of the dock.

Inside the tavern, it was dark and loud. Sailors sat around, drinking and noisily swapping stories about their travels. Jake and Puck walked up to the bar.

"What can I getcha?" the bartender asked.

"Rum and diet coke," Jake replied, sitting down at a stool.

"And the kid?"

"Just a regular coke."

As the bartender got their drinks, Jake asked about any famous waterfalls nearby.

"Not really here on the islands. There is a waterfall in South America that's pretty well-known. It's a bit inland—in Guyana, I think." He placed the drinks in front of them and leaned on the counter to talk to them better.

"I hear talk about a lot of things around these islands. No one's ever said anything good about Kaieteur Falls, though. And no one that's been has ever wanted to go back. They say," he dropped to a whisper and leaned in closer, "there's a witch living there."

Jake paled; he didn't have great experience with witches. But Puck's eyes lit up.

"Really?" the boy asked enthusiastically. "Does she eat people, too?"

The bartender and Jake just stared.

"I don't believe them. There's no such thing as witches, see?" the bartender paused. "But, something at those falls has these men spooked. And these men have seen everything—they're some of the toughest men in the world."

"Tough? And they're scared of a witch? Yeah, right. I'm the Trick—" Puck was cut off by a kick from Jake, but it was too late.

"You don't think these men are tough?" the bartender growled.

"He just means we've seen a lot, too. I think we could handle whatever it is that's there," Jake replied cockily.

"If you want, I can introduce you to a guy that's been there. He'll be here tomorrow morning. I'd like to see what you think of him after you've met him," he glared at Puck.

"Actually, we weren't planning on staying . . ." Jake trailed off as the bartender turned his glare on him.

"What? You scared?"

"But we probably should—to get cleaned up and talk to that guy," Jake finished quickly. "Can you recommend a good place to spend the night?"

"Round the corner, there's a little inn."

~M.K~

It certainly was little. More like a three story motel than a hotel. They got a room on the second floor and, once they had showered and settled in, they began to discuss their next move.

"So a witch, huh?" Jake said nervously. He was sitting at the table with Puck, eating the dinner they had ordered from room service.

"If she's anything like Baba Yaga. . ." Puck swallowed a large mouthful of food. "Man, this going to be so cool!"

Jake looked grim. "Shouldn't we worried she might be dangerous?"

"Dangerous? I laugh in the face of danger!" Puck gave a malevolent laugh for emphasis.

"But what if she skins us alive or sucks the marrow from our bones?"

"That would be so freaking awesome! Oh, come on," Puck said as Jake turned green. "I'm an all powerful fairy and you have all those magical thingamabobs. We've totally got this."

~ M.K.~

The next day, they went back to the tavern. Being so early, it was nearly empty; however, there were a few people scattered around. Jake and Puck walked over to where the bartender sat talking to a very tan, burly man. Scars covered his arms and he had a tattoo of a Jolly Roger on his bicep. The bartender motioned for them to sit.

"So y'all want to go to Kaieteur Falls?" the man said in a gruff voice.

"Yeah, there's something there we're trying to find," Jake replied.

"I don't see why it's so important that you have to go there. Nothing is worth going back there," he shook his head at the thought.

"Can you tell us why? What was so bad?" Jake questioned the man.

"The falls are huge—magnificent, like something out of a fairytale."

Jake and Puck looked at each other.

"I had gotten shipwrecked while sailing along the coast so I knew that, if I traveled inland, I would eventually find help. On my way, I passed the falls. I decided to rest there a bit and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was surrounded by vines and an old woman stood over me. I just figured she was a hag who lived in a nearby village. I closed my eyes, hoping she would just leave until I heard her talking. Something about looking for magic and not finding it and needing a bite.

"Yes! She does eat people," Puck cheered.

"If I wasn't freaked out before, I was then. But I was not about to be eaten by some witch so I jumped up, hoping to take her by surprise and escape."

"But, you're okay now. She didn't actually do anything to you," Jake said hopefully.

"When I got up—this is the creepiest part of all—she just looked at me. She had crossed eyes that seemed to see more than just what was in front of her. It made me shake. I backed up, expecting her to fight me, but she just stared at me, if you can even call her crosseyes a stare. So I left, running as fast as I could as soon as I was out of her sight." He turned back to his drink as he finished his story.

Jake was a little pale.

"You look like you could use a drink," the bartender told him, pouring him a draft.

"I can't believe you didn't get her autograph," Puck said incredulously.

"My advice: stay here," the man broke from his memories and resumed speaking. "Whatever it is you're looking for, you don't need it that badly."

"Unfortunately, we do," Jake sipped his drink, still looking a little nervous. "There's some pretty dangerous stuff in this world and, without this one thing, I doubt we'll be able to find anything else."

"Some CIA something? What's with all the secrets and mystery?" the bartender asked.

Jake just shrugged, shaking off his nerves. He pursed his lips and put on a look of determination. "Thanks for the story, at least now we're prepared. We better get going."

"Well, if you're that set on it, let me at least give you a map. You don't need to deal with getting lost on top of a witch," the man said.

"This is going to be awesome!"

~M.K~

Jake sat on the bench in the back of the boat. He had the map open in front of him and the GPS next to him.

"Okay, so if we're at 10 , 20' latitude and -60 , 93', that means we have to travel 4 , 9' south and 75' east to get to 5 , 11' latitude and -59 , 28' longitude.

"That's a lot of numbers," Puck said, looking of to Jake from where he stood holding the steering wheel steady.

"It should take us an hour or so until we see land. Can you turn the wheel slightly to the right?" Jake asked Puck, putting the map away. "No, your other right," he corrected.

"I knew that," Puck readjusted the wheel. "I feel like I need a hat or something." He struck an" at-attention" pose. The wheel spun with the current, jostling the boat.

"Oh, just give me that," Jake pushed Puck out of the way and steadied the wheel.

"Hey! I had it under control!"

"No you didn't. You let go of the wheel."

"Well I don't need you butting in and taking control like you always do."

"How about butting in and saving your sorry behind?"

"I don't need you. I was doing perfectly find before you showed up." They weren't just talking about the steering wheel anymore.

"Because you could definitely take a room full of angry Everafters. I mean, you did so well with that Jabberwocky," Jake's voice was filled with bitter sarcasm.

"At least I didn't ditch my family for year, leaving them to fend for themselves while I went to pout and mope."

Jake's jaw dropped. "Yes! Yes, you did! You came to Ferryport Landing. You left Faerie."

"That doesn't count and you know it. They're hardly my family," Puck glared.

Jake opened his mouth to argue back, but stopped. He looked at Puck standing in front of him, a whole head shorter. Puck was just a kid—an annoyingly arrogant kid, but a kid nonetheless. A kid who had no one until Relda took him in. A kid who had been a son for her when he wasn't. His anger fumbled.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Jake conceded.

Puck looked back at him, startled. "I am? How—why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I did come in and kind of take over and I'm sorry."

Puck narrowed his eyes, still wary.

"I was mad," Jake continued. "I messed up by leaving. My mom needed someone and I wasn't there for her. You were a better son than I was. When I came back, it was like I had been replaced. I was," Jake bit his lip and gulped as if he had just drunk onion and banana juice, "jealous."

Puck stared at Jake, his mouth agape.

"So, uh, yeah," Jake rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I just, um, needed to feel like I could still take care of people; like," he paused, "I could still be the hero."

"Well," Puck began, not one to dwell in awkward situations. "There's no need to worry about me taking that away. I'm a villain—"

"Of the worst kind," Jake finished for him. "So I've heard." He smiled wanly.

"Hey, land!" Jake said, jumping up.

"That must be it, then," Puck went over to the edge of the boat to look. "Now can I fly to check it out. No one's around this time."

"Except maybe a witch. No, we don't want to take any chances."

As they got closer, Jake checked the map and GPS again.

"There should be a river around here somewhere that will take us to Kaieteur Falls." He scanned the shoreline. "There! Behind those rocks."

Puck nodded, concentration on maneuvering the back around the rocks and then into the mouth of the river.

"So, do you really think there's a witch?" Puck asked once they were settled following the river's current.

Jake grimaced. "I hope not, but I can't see how it could not be. 'Magic'? Really? She must have the compass."

"How are we going to get it, then? Do you have a plan?"

"Uh, figure-it-out-as-we-go?"

"Great," Puck grinned, "my favorite kind."

~M.K~

"Alright, we're here," Puck said as they pulled into a large lagoon.

"Let's check the golden ball one more time, just in case."

"Oh, come on. Are you scared?" Puck smirked.

Jake glared at the fairy. "I'm an adult. I'm more rational than that."

"Ha!" Puck scoffed. "Just because you're grown-up doesn't mean anything. Look at your brother."

Jake snickered. "Henry does frighten easily, doesn't he?"

"You should have been there when we went to go see Baba Yaga—"

"I don't want to know," Jake cut Puck off. "The less we say about her, the better."

Puck grinned, seeing an opportunity. "So, I shouldn't mention the book she has made of human skin?"

"No!"

"What about her jar of pig intestines?"

"Puck," Jake threatened.

"Or the toe-necklace she wears?" Puck only grinned wider.

"Poor Sabrina. She much feel like this all the time."

Puck chuckled. "Yeah, but her reactions are funnier."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's go then."

Grabbing the rope, Puck jumped from the boat to the ground and tied the rope around a tree. Jake picked up the golden ball and joined Puck on land.

"Find the witch, find the compass, huh?" Puck said, taking the ball from Jake and tossing it in the lagoon. "A hut in the middle of a grove of palm trees. Shouldn't be too hard to find."

Jake only grimaced in response.

~ M.K~

"So here's the hut. . ." Jake said as they walked into a small clearing.

"Thank goodness! We've been walking for forever . . ." Puck complained.

". . .But where's the witch?"

". . .I need to sit down." Puck made his way over to a stump.

"Wait," Jake warned.

"What, do you think she's going to jump out from behind it?"

"No, I think it could be a trap."

"A magical trap?" He laughed cockily as he sat down. Immediately, branches erupted from the stump and wrapped around Puck. Vines sprung out around Jake's feet, encircling him and causing him to fall to the ground.

"Magic, yes. Lots of magic," a voice cackled. A tree nect to the hut glowed and shrank, transforming into a small, hunched over woman. She had matted, straw-like hair and skin that resembled wrinkled leather. Her most shocking features, though, were her eyes—her crossed, bloodshot, so-dark-they-looked-black eyes.

"And some nature magic, too. Like mine." She pushed the branches away to look at Puck's face.

Puck spit leaves out of his mouth. "Oh, you are hideous," he said gleefully. "Can I take a picture with you?"

"Pu-uck," Jake struggled to talk against his bindings, "d-don't make her ma-ahd."

She turned to Jake, pulling him up against the stump with supernatural strength. "Why have you come?"

"Oh, we're just lost tourists," he breathed heavily, leaning back on the stump. "Nothing dangerous. Nothing worth hunting or eating."

"Liar," she stated. "That one," she pointed a gnarled-finger at Puck, "is magic."

"We picked up some tourist knick-knacks in the Caribbean that are supposedly magical. You must just be sensing those."

"No, magic fills his being. Not a human harnessing a bit of an ancient power. You are surrounded by man-made trinkets you call magic." She turned back to puck. A faerie—the essence of nature magic. It's been a long while since I saw magic in its true form. Why have you come?" she repeated.

"We're looking for a compass," Jake answered, still a little miffed by her insults.

"I would think you'd be able to find plenty of those in the Caribbean. They are popular tourist knick-knacks," she said, returning Jake's icy tone.

"Not any compass; a compass that points to the holder's greatest desire."

"The Compass of Desire. I have collected it, yes. Magic always comes with a price, though. Are you willing to pay it?"

Jake winced. "What's your price?"

"An orange."

"An orange?" Puck asked incredulously. "Don't you have plenty of those here?"

"Just as you require an extraordinary compass, I require an extraordinary orange."

"Do you know where it is?" Jake asked.

"Not exactly; however, you have the means to find out. My eyes don't see what is in front of me; they see magic. And they can see that you have a device that will show the location of a known object." She held out her hand to Jake. Begrudgingly, he pointed to a particularly large pocket on his coat and she pulled out the golden ball.

"Interesting," the witch muttered as she examined it. Then she turned and went into her hut. Jake and Puck tried to look at each other dumbfounded, but their restrainsts wouldn't let them. Soon, the witch reappeared from her house. She waved her hand and the branches and vines fell away from Jake and Puck.

"The orange can be found on the island of Cuba," she said, handing the ball back to Jake. "It may only be picked by someone who has come to terms with, and accepted their own memories. Return with it, and I will give you the compass and allow you to go free," her tone threatened unknown power and malice.

~M.K~

"So this is the magic orange?" Jake asked, looking up at the tree full of fruit.

"I guess so," Puck shrugged. "This is the tree the golden ball kept showing."

"I wonder what it does."

"If it's dangerous, maybe we shouldn't give it to her."

"How are we going to get out of this, though? I'm pretty sure she'll find us. And we need that compass."

"Alright," Puck reached to grab the orange, but pulled back quickly. "I can't touch it."

"What? Here, let me try." Jake tried to get the orange. "That's weird," he said when his fingers hit the invisible barrier.

"Now what do we do?"

"Let me think. . .wait, didn't she say we had to come to terms with and accept our own memories before we could pick it?"

"Yeah, but what does that mean? I've accepted all my memories."

"Sure you have," Jake smirked. "What about your memories of Sabrina?"

"There's nothing memorable to 'come to terms' with!" Puck cried.

"Because that's not denial or anything," Jake teased. "No unrequited feelings, no guilt for leaving her in New York, nothing you wish you have done differently. . .you don't even miss her?"

"That's—what?!—not even—none of your—completely untrue!" Puck sputtered. "What about you?" he countered. "Why can't you touch it?"

When Jake didn't say anything , Puck seized his chance.

"Still haven't accepted Briar's death? Or have you still not dealt with the fact that you released a monster in Ferryport Landing, which ended in your father's death?

Jake looked as if he had been punched in the gut and, instead of responding angrily, he collapsed on a rock. Puck still seemed to be processing the words that had just come out of his mouth. Sock and regret transformed his features as he realized what he had said. He opened and closed his mouth dumbly before speaking.

"I. . .I didn't mean that. Jake, I'm sorry. . ."

"Don't be," Jake said after a while, his voice hoarse. "You didn't—it's just—yes. I can't deal with the fact that, if that day with the Vorpal Blade had never happened, our lives would be so much happier. My dad would be here, Henry would have stayed, the girls wouldn't have gone through so much, even mirror might not have turned evil."

"You can't know that. Mirror still could have turned evil. Knowing Grimm and Marshmallow, they probably would have gotten into plenty of trouble anyways. And I probably would never have moved in with the old lady."

I. . ." Jake stared up at Puck.

"No need to say anything. I know; my counseling powers amaze even me sometimes."

"I wouldn't go so far as to say they're amazing. But, I guess we would have missed out on a lot of good things, too."

"What do they call it—a blessing in demise?"

"Disguise," Jake corrected, rolling his eyes. "Yes, where would the Grimm family be if they had never met the Trickster King?"

"I don't think you'd want to know," Puck replied, ignoring the sarcasm. "You should be counting yourself lucky that my dad banished me."

Jake paused, while Puck continued talking.

"So now that we've fixed that and everyone's feeling all mushy inside, can you just pick the orange?" Puck started to get up and leave.

"Nuh-uh-uh. Now we get to resolve your backstory."

Puck groaned and sat back down on the rock.

"So, which is it? Your banishment and daddy-issues, or 'Brina?"

"I don't have daddy-issues! And it's not that I don't want to deal with my supposed 'feelings for Grimm'," he emphasized with air-quotes. "I just don't know what to think, and I don't really need to. I'm only a kid, I can figure it all out later."

Jake looked at him suspiciously. "No daddy-issues, are you sure?"

Puck nodded and rolled his eyes. "That was all fixed back in New York."

"We will talk about Sabrina later, though."

The boy shrugged. "Something about this puberty virus makes me think that one day I'll want to talk about her," he shuddered.

"Look at you growing up and getting mature," Jake grinned. Puck stuck his tongue out at the man.

"Let's get these oranges, then. I think we should get two just in case."

"Why? If it's dangerous, isn't giving her one bad enough?"

"It's not for her; it's for us," Jake explained. "To counter the one we give her in case something bad does happen.

"Oh, that makes sense," Puck mused.

They each grabbed an orange from the tree and began the hike back to the boat.

~M.K~

"Here's your orange," Jake said, holding the fruit out to the witch.

"And it better be exactly what you wanted because that was a physically and emotionally exhausting trip and I do not want to repeat it!" Puck exclaimed.

"Yes, this is it. One bite will bring it back," Crosseyes crowed.

"Bring what back?" Puck questioned.

"Where's our compass?" Jake asked.

"Patience, my good travelers," she cackled. "Peel it for me while I retrieve your reward." She turned back and went into the house.

"What?!"

"We just want the compass!"

"Here, you peel it," Jake shoved the orange at Puck.

"No, that's work! You know I'm allergic."

"You'd probably just end up squishing it," Jake grumbled.

"The Compass of Desire," the witch said, exiting the house and presenting a worn, wooden box. She took the orange from Jake and lifted it to her lips, about to take a bite.

"Wait!" Jake cried. Crosseyes paused.

"What will happen? Will you get extra powers?"

"Oh, no. Don't be ludicrous. This orange just allows one to relive memories as if they were really happening. So I can go back and experience a time when magic was pure and valued. You might want to try it with that extra orange you have there in your pocket. Just take a bite and think of the memory. . ." With that, she turned back to her orange, but not before giving them a small smile and quick wink.

**~M.K~**

**Because Melanie and I have been depriving you guys of updates for so long, I'm going to give you a special gift! BONUS CHAPTER! It should be up within the next few days or up to a week. It'll be short, titled "Memories", but I'm not giving away more than that.**

**And I'm super excited right now because I'm actually posting a substantial chapter and I have two more chapters in progress (well, I have one and Mel has one and I have no clue what's up with hers) XD**

**Okay, now onto important things. . . **

**Anon Reviews:  
PenguinLoverGurl- Yes! The reference from chapter 3 was sound chakras. You can stick with the cookie (it's Zuko shaped ^^) or, shoot me a PM and you can get a spoiler or sneak-peek. YOU HAVE ALL MY LoK SHIPS! Finally, someone who understands that Korra and Makko SHOULD NOT be together DX He didn't even officially break up with Asami yet. Oh yeah, and the B-O-R-N-G thing was something from one of the books when Puck tried to spell it, but couldn't.  
Rayne- Sorry, you were from forever ago (like Chapter 2)! I'm super-duper sorry! Anyways, thank you very much! And, if you're still reading, you'll find tons more A:TLA references to come XD  
GallifreyenGal- We're definitely a "y'all" born and raised in Alabama :D And I hope the above chapter qualifies as "Jakes perspective".**

**Announcements:  
REVIEW! (durrr...)  
A quick reiteration about the reference thing, which goes for all of our chapters-if you find a reference in one of the chapters, review and you will get either a spoiler or a sneak-peek (your choice) sent via PM. So, sorry anons, if you don't have an account, you can only get Puck or Zuko shaped cookies!**

**Shout out to SweetShireen to send me a PM so we can discuss what I reviewed on her story, "Cold Feet"!**

**Random facts about this chapter:  
It took forever to write because I'm a shell void of all emotion and I HATE mushy, gushy, feeling-sharing moments.  
Puck and Jake may seem OOC at times because Michael Buckley NEVER WENT OVER THESE THINGS IN THE BOOK AND HE LEFT A HUGE MESS OF UNRESOLVED ISSUES FOR ME AND MEL TO DEAL WITH! DX  
Writing this took up 28 pages of my composition book.  
There are 11 Zutara hearts doodles in the margins.  
Two Zutara fics are mapped out in the margins; however, they will be written far, far later in the future.  
I have been writing this since I was in the plane to Italy, which was entirely too long ago.**

**THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND STICKING WITH THE STORY. It really means a lot to me (and probably to Mel, too, if she's not lost in the desert somewhere or stuck in a hole or anything. . .) XD**


	6. Memory

**A/N**

**GUYS I'M SORRY! I didn't post this on Tuesday or whenever I said I would. I don't really have any excuse besides that I'm a procrastinator and got overloaded on my school work. But Greek class got cancelled Thursday morning so I wrote it and was going to post it Friday for a "Thank Grimm It's Friday" post (I'm really going to try posting then from now on), but then I got sick. So I was half asleep all day Friday and didn't really have the energy to upload the story, write the A/N, respond to anons, etc. BUT IT'S HERE NOW! It's super short, though DX Melanie has a nice long chapter, though. All about a certain little town that seems to have been forgotten after the 9th book. . .(:**

**We don't own The Sisters Grimm, yadayadaya. . .oh, and I forgot to give credit to the fairytales last chapter. Both Crosseyes and the Magic Orange Tree are Caribbean fairytales.**

**~M.K~**

Once upon a time, there was a man and a woman who went on an afternoon picnic. There was a basket with a few rolls, a salad, some pasta with chicken, a bottle of light sangria, and two slices of cheese cake for dessert. There was a red-and-white checkered blanket. The sun filtered through the thick layers of leaves above them, creating a pattern of shade across their outdoor sanctuary. And that was where they set up their meal—deep in the forest, as hidden from their little town as possible. After eating, they laid out on the blanket, enjoying the simplicity of being. She rested her head on his chest, while he ran his fingers lazily through her long, dark, and wavy locks.

"Jake?" Briar asked, turning her head slightly to look up at him.

"Hmm. . .?" he responded, never ceasing his gentle strokes through her hair.

"What are we doing?"

"Sitting, relaxing, not talking about this. . ."

"Well we should be—er, shouldn't—I mean, we should stop avoiding it," Briar said, flustered. Jake smirked at her agitation.

"We need to talk about it," she glared at him.

"Why can't we just worry about it later?"

"Because, if this is going to be a serious thing, we need to tell my godmothers."

"I thought this was a serious ting," Jake said, slightly miffed. "Why don't we not tell them and say we did?" he teased.

"No," she said, not giving into his charm. "I want to actually have a date outside these woods.

"Why? You didn't like my picnic?"

"I loved the picnic." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as she sat up. "But there's a whole town out there that we can be part of."

"There's a whole world out there, too." Jake grumbled, sitting up, too.

"Don't be bitter," Briar soothed. "There's plenty for us in Ferryport Landing. We don't need to worry about anything else yet."

"I just hate that you can't leave."

"But I'm perfectly happy here." She cupped Jake's cheek in her soft hands. He looked up at her. "Everything I could ever want is here, why would I want to leave that? I know you're restless—you want to go out and explore the world. . ."

"I've explored the world," he interrupted. "I just want to show it to you."

"And you will—later. Just be patient."

"But, the barrier. . ."

"You have to hope that one day it will be safe enough for Everafters to live in the world in peace. We're not going to cheat the curse and try to escape," she added firmly.

"I know, I know. I learned my lesson," Jake said grumpily.

"Good. Now you owe me dinner in a real restaurant."

"Wha—why? Wait, did I forget something?"

"No," she laughed. "But I thought we should have a relaxing evening before you officially meet my fairy godmothers as my boyfriend."

Jake gulped. "Do I have to?"

Briar glared at him.

"What time do you want to pick me to come pick you up?"

**~M.K~**

**Now can we all just say "dawww" together. . .  
****  
There's no reference in this chapter, sorry. It was so short, a reference would just take away from the story. I will tell you what inspired my story, though. So I started writing and I realized that this memory had nothing to do with the memories from the last chapter. But I really just wanted to write a BriarxJake chapter for some reason. The I started writing some more, thinking about their characters and how they would treat each other, etc. And I realized, THEY REMIND ME OF ZUTARA. And I think that's why I wanted to write this so badly. Because I've been wanting to write a Zutara fic, but I haven't let myself since I have this story to work on. Anyways, we'll probably slip in more drabbles like this throughout the story, depending on how much you like it. **

**So review and tell us if you like it!**

**Response to anons:**

**1D- Thanks for reviewing! I hope this helped. It wasn't really a cliff-hanger, I just wanted to separate that story from this memory.**

**PenguinLoverGurl- You should make an account! DO IT! XD No, the reference isn't always A:TLA. It was a line from the Lion King, I think. Puck will have a few more adventures with Jake before returning to New York (City ;D). Anyways, thanks bunches for reviewing! General Iroh II is my favorite new character. I may or may not ship him with everyone ^^ Him and Korra, him and Asami. . .just like I shipped Zuko with everyone XD**


	7. Back to School

**A/N**

**I know you guys deserve a super long explanation of our hiatus and a super long chapter for sticking with us and still reading. But, I will give my explanation at the end and let you read now. Mel and I are *attempting* a 12 days of Christmas update fest. We'll see how we get with that. I churned all this out today and Mel hasn't read it. I haven't even read it completely through. But we had to get this in before we could move on to bigger and better things. Merry Christmas and enjoy!**

**Oh, and we don't own the Sisters Grimm. **

**~M.K~**

Sabrina's alarm went off at 6 am exactly. She groaned and rolled over to glare at the blaring clock. Reluctantly, she sat up and got out of bed. It was her first day of school.

She wondered how many "first days" at a new school she had been to (she had lost count over the years). But this year would be different. This year, she wasn't some foster kid that everyone could tease. She wasn't going to a school with Everafters who wanted to kill her. Nope. This year, she would be starting seventh grade at the nearby Manhattan middle school. Her parents would drop her and her sister off in the morning and then she and her sister would walk home together in the afternoon. It would be a completely mediocre day at school. They wouldn't get into any shenanigans, but they would make a few friends and keep up in class and such.

Hearing her sister get up, she hurried to get first dibs on the bathroom that connected their rooms. She brushed her teeth to get rid of her morning breath and washed her face. After hanging the rag back up, she scrutinized her face. She had avoided getting zits so far, so she decided to forgo make up today. Even something as simple as mascara was risky if it smeared during class and made her look like a raccoon.

Daphne rapped on the door impatiently. "Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sabrina reached over to twist the doorknob. As soon as the lock clicked, Daphne pushed open the door.

"I only have an hour and I need to figure out how to make my hair stay in a crazy updo without any using any glue and milk," she finished in one breath.

Sabrina turned to look at her sister. "Why? We're in New York now. People here expect us to act normal."

"But I want to stand out."

"We're the new kids at a small school—I'm sure people will notice us." And she walked out of the bathroom and into her room. She still needed to pick out the perfect outfit. Whoever had said "first impressions didn't matter" lied as far as she was concerned. Twenty minutes later, she decided she had better eat something before school and left her room. She was wearing dark boot-cut jeans, white converse high-tops, and a long-sleeved, fitted, dark pink shirt with a white camisole underneath. She had kept her long, wavy hair down with a just bobby pin on the side.

Daphne was already at the table when Sabrina got downstairs.

"Good morning, sweetie," Veronica said, stepping out of the kitchen to kiss Sabrina on the cheek. "Sit down and have some pancakes—these have pansy petals in them, but these are regular." She gestured to the appropriate sides of the platter.

"Thanks, Mom," Sabrina said, giving her a smile.

"Your father's going to take you girls to school on his way to work," Veronica called from the kitchen where she was cleaning up from making breakfast.

Sabrina and Daphne nodded—both of them had pancakes in their mouth.

"Then Basil and I are going off to run some errands later, so we may not be home when you get back from school. Any requests for dinner tonight? We'll be going to the grocery store, too, so I can pick up ingredients if we don't have any."

"Ooh! Can we have spaghetti?" Daphne cried, swallowing her pancakes. "Alright, I'm done." She pushed back her chair and took her plate into the kitchen.

"Go brush your teeth and get your shoes on," Veronica told her.

"Okay," Daphne said, heading for the stairs. "Hurry up, Sabrina, we don't want to be late!" She called back to her sister.

"I'm coming," Sabrina responded, getting up and clearing her place. Then she followed her sister up the stairs to their bathroom.

It was seven thirty when they stood in by the door with their shoes and their backpacks on, waiting for their father to find his car keys.

"Got them!" They heard Henry shout from the living room. "Basil must have been playing with them," he said, grabbing his briefcase and following the girls out the door. There was a main garage for the apartment complex where everyone had their cars.

They got to school ten minutes before school started. It was the Anderson school in upper west side Manhattan. And it was for elementary and middle school, so Sabrina and Daphne went to the principal's office together to get their schedules. Sabrina walked Daphne to her class, even though Daphne told her she would be fine. Then Sabrina found her homeroom. She took a deep breath outside the door. _What's the worst that could happen?_ She thought to herself. An image of Ms. Smirt dragging her—with wild, milk-glue-pickle hair—and Daphne—with a beehive full of school supplies—into school and hitting on the principal filled her head. She grinned, wryly. _Nothing_ could be that bad.

~M.K~

By the end of the day, Sabrina's head was fried. Classes hadn't been bad, per se. But after an the intro to jazz in her music class, an overenthusiastic Spanish teacher, a super-strict Social Studies teacher, as well as a reiteration of the "we don't take laziness, no excuses, we're a gifted school, blah, blah, and get your parents to sign these" speech in every class, she was ready to leave. _This is what school is _supposed_ to be like_, she reminded herself.

Nothing entertaining had happened—not even in gym class when they played dodge ball. The other girls in her class were either too preppy or too nerdy. There wasn't a tough-but-sweet girl like Bella that she could befriend. Of course, Bella had turned out to be in league with a murderer so maybe that was a good thing. And all the boys were dumb. For once, she found herself missing the cleverness of Puck's pranks and insults. The boys in her classes made stupid jokes that made no sense, but then laughed at them anyways. They tossed petty insults back and forth trying to make themselves seem cooler than the other boys.

Nothing had gone as she had planned, but everything that happened was as expected. She was in middle school—seventh grade—the essence of pre-teen hell. As someone who had seen things way beyond her years, it seemed superficial. She only hoped her sister's day had gone better.

Daphne had been the hit of her grade last year and Sabrina figured the little girl would fit right in again this year. But, when Daphne found Sabrina by the main doors after school, she ran and hugged her big sister around the middle.

"Daphne!" Sabrina exclaimed, surprised at her sister's behavior. Daphne was in elementary school, thing couldn't have been that bad. "What's wrong?"

"All the kids thought I was weird. We had to talk about our favorite fairytale, but I had to pretend they were all made up. Then, one kid said he liked how the woodcutter chopped up Mr. Canis to save Red, but that wasn't how the story went. Mr. Canis wasn't killed and the woodcutter was just a big ol' fraud and Red is fine. So I told him, and then he got mad and told me to stop trying to act smart because I wasn't. And then Mrs. Kelly-Finkle said I was interrupting and lying and I got in trouble. She said that "now's not the time for me to use my imagination". Everyone at the school is so boring!" Daphne sounded like she was about to cry and the truth of her words hit Sabrina like a brick. This school was boring. Sabrina knew that if Daphne started crying, she would too. She couldn't help it. She missed that awfully small town with all the strange Everafters. She missed her Grandmother and her doll's house on top of the hill. She missed that arrogant fairy who pestered her constantly. She missed her uncle and his cheesy jokes. She even missed Mr. Canis, Red, and Pinocchio. She had to do something to make her sister feel better and get their minds off of school.

"Hey, Central Park is just a couple blocks from here," Sabrina nudged Daphne off of her. "Want to head over to Faerie for a snack in Mama's bar?"

Daphne's eyes widened. "I forgot about Faerie! We're not so separated from Everafters after all! Let's go!" She grabbed Sabrina's hand and ran down the front steps of the school.

"Hold on," Sabrina said, "I don't want to trip." She readjusted her hand to fit more comfortably around Daphne's, but consented to walking quickly in the direction of the park.

~M.K~

When they got to Hans Christian Andersen's statue, they paused.

"It's weird being here without everyone else," Daphne said quietly.

"Yeah," Sabrina nodded. "You go first."

Daphne made a fist and hit the statue with a loud clank. "Knock, knock!" She cried. And she disappeared. Sabrina followed suit.

They both oriented themselves after being magically delivered into a very loud, Everafter bar.

"Hey girls!" Mama called from where she was serving drinks. "I didn't expect to see y'all back so soon!"

"We just stopped by for a snack," Sabrina said, as she and Daphne took seats at the bar.

"Here, I got a plate of fresh cookies made by the prince himself. And I can getcha a glass of milk to go with them. Just hold on a sec'".

"Prince?" Daphne scrunched up her nose. "Isn't Mustardseed king now, since Puck left?"

"He's only acting as king until Puck gets back. Technically, his title is still prince," Mama replied when she returned with the milk.

"Mustardseed made cookies?" Sabrina laughed.

"Hey, I worked really hard on those," a voice said from behind. Both girls whipped around in their seats to find the source. And there was Mustardseed, still in the doorway, with Queen Titania and Veronica Grimm behind him.

"Oh son, there was a reason I gave the cookies to Mama," Titania sniffed. Mustardseed just rolled his eyes.

"Mustardseed! Good to see you!" Daphne cried, jumping up to give the boy a hug.

"Mom?!" Sabrina cried at the same time. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to offer Titania my help and to see how things have been going while I've been gone," Veronica answered. "She's allowing me to relocate some of Ferryport Landing's Everafters here. I really want to help everyone who wants to leave the town get settled in a new area, but Everafter-friendly communities are difficult to find. It's not even the magic, it's the fact that they don't have social security cards or passports or credit or. . .other boring adult stuff," she finished when she looked at her daughter who were staring at her dumbfounded.

"But Titania did tell me what happened last Christmas. You girls did a great job with the speech," Veronica said, wrapping both girls in a hug. Sabrina blushed—she was still embarrassed about having stood in front of all of Faerie to give her mother's speech. Her mom's speech made her realize what it meant to be a Grimm, and that wasn't something she was about to forget, no matter what the kids and teachers at school said.

**~M.K~**

**Okay, so here's the story. We were super busy and we've hardly gotten a chance to talk except for over Thanksgiving break when we were in Florida together. So I've been on a whirlwind in college with papers and maybe transferring and robotics and job applications and waterpolo tournaments and then-before I knew it-exams. Mel's been overwhelmed with high school and cross country and choir and babysitting and helping her mom with her eight younger siblings and entertaining the German foreign exchange student that her family is hosting and writing her own story that she wants to publish. Oh, and she does Tae-kwon-do. Which was another problem, because she went and got herself a concussion in November while teaching a Tae-Kwon-Do class. So then she couldn't go to school and wasn't supposed to write and then we really got behind. But, so far, we're still on time for our Christmas Day update so we win as far as I'm concerned.**

**I'm terribly sorry for not being more on top of things, though. And I promise a wonderful Christmas season full of updates and then *hopefully* more regular updates during this next semester.**

**I hope you all had a wonderful day today, even if you don't celebrate Christmas. And, while stores are taking down their Christmas merchandise and families are taking down their decorations and radio stations have stopped playing carols, we are just beginning our Christmas season. There are twelve days of it, you know. That's not just a song-it's a real thing. And we will be celebrating with updates! :D**

**Krystynn**

**P.S. And please review! It makes me happy and then I get to respond and converse with fellow Sisters Grimm fans and I love to talk to y'all! ^^**

**P.P.S. FYI t****he Anderson School is a real school in NYC. I got all the info about it from their website, however, I de-glammed the website's portrayal of the school****.**


	8. Previews

**A/N**

**So I'm waiting on some fact to be confirmed before I post the next full chapter. Until then, here are some previews to chapters that will be posted soon. All but the Magic versus Science one will be posted before the new year. That one just comes much later in our timeline. Why I'm working on it now, I have no clue. I'm working ahead? :P Anyways, thanks for being patient. If you happen to have CoM, please PM me! I loaned mine out and now I have no way to check my info DX And I can't call Mel because I got a new phone recently and still haven't had time to figure out how to work it. Ehh...I don't really need to be contacted anyways. Hahah.**

**~ Krystynn**

* * *

Flash to Ferryport

Snow sat in her office. _Her_ office. She grinned. She still couldn't get over the fact that she had been elected mayor over her fiancé. Anyways, it was Saturday so she wasn't really working. She had come to get some peace and quiet and to finish some last minute preparation for her wedding.

Her wedding was about two weeks away. It seemed like only yesterday that Billy had proposed. Everything since had been a whirlwind—defeating Mirror, rebuilding the town, being elected mayor, friends moving away. . . She sighed. She wished Relda Grimm was there to help her. Relda, at least, still lived in town. But she had gone to visit Henry and Veronica in the city for a few days before Christmas. Then the entire Grimm family would be back for the holiday and, of course, the wedding. Well, there was no point wishing for what wasn't. She would have to tackle the RSVPs and seating chart herself.

* * *

Adventures of P^2 and J

Relda Grimm hadn't worried when Pinocchio hadn't shown up for lunch. She knew the boy was easily distracted by his job or organizing the magic mirror and exploring its many chambers. Why not let him have his fun? He would come for food when his stomach began growling.

However, Pinocchio did not come. As the afternoon wore on, Relda was distracted by Red, who wanted to bake cookies with her, and the sky was dark by the time her thoughts returned to Pinocchio. Only then did she realize she hadn't seen the boy since breakfast.

After putting a pot of water on the stove to boil (she was planning to cook her secret sausage soup), she venture through the house, stopping in front of Pinocchio's room.

* * *

At Disney

"I wonder where Puck went. Hopefully someone finds him. Something feels funny here. . .I don't like it. . ."

"Daphne," Red soothed. "I'm sure Puck's fine. But I doubt he'll be found if he doesn't want to be."

"But you're right about something going on," Pinocchio added. "I keep thinking I recognize someone, but the moment I look, they're gone."

~M.K~

"You ready to go back to meet the others?" he asked.

"Nah, I kinda wanted to hang around here for a bit," she replied, zipping up the backpack and swinging it around to her soldiers.

"Good 'cause you own me," he said with a mischievious grin.

"What—?"

But he just shook his head, leading her down the path and around a corner to a boardwalk that wound around a small lake that she hadn't known had been there. At night, with the haunted mansion in the distance, it was a mix between spooky and romantic.

* * *

Magic versus Science

Puck, Sabrina, Daphne, and Basil had decided to skip school and go to central park for the day. They really had no reason to take the day off, but they couldn't really justify spending such a beautiful day inside either. Well, Sabrina and Puck couldn't. And Basil, always loyal to Puck, didn't really think he needed to learn division anyways. Daphne found plenty of reasons why they should go to school but she was quickly overruled.

"Who knows?" Sabrina teased her sister as they walked out the door, "we could discover a mystery in New York that needs to be solved. All that time we would be in school, we could go on an adventure instead."

Daphne stuck her tongue out at her sister, but her eyes glittered with excitement at the talk of adventures—she missed solving mysteries in Ferryport Landing. "If we get caught, though, I'm selling you two out faster than the new iPhone."

* * *

**A/N**

**I don't own the Sister's Grimm characters. Or any of the references that will be made in each of these chapters. I realized the last chapter didn't have a reference at all DX Oh well. It got up and that's what counts. Hope you don't hate me for all the cliffiness now. At least you have something to look forward to!**


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